A night on the beach
by jedabbey
Summary: Jed is in Congress and comes home to surprise Abbey
1. Chapter 1

_My Dearest Abigail,_

 _Even the Capitol building cannot compare to you beauty. It's so lonely without you here. I miss you. I look at the picture you sent me all the time, but it doesn't do you any justice. We're talking on the phone now and my God, I love your laugh. I miss seeing your nose wrinkle when you do. I miss you stealing my razor in the mornings. I miss being able to snuggle with you…a pillow isn't the same—but don't worry I'm being a good boy. I'd never stray from you, Abbey. I love you more than anything. Got to go, see you this weekend, my love._

 _Josiah Bartlet_

 _—_

 _Jed,_

 _The farm isn't the same without you. The kids miss you. I miss you, too. I always miss you when you're away. If we talk three times a day on the phone, why must you write me too? I secretly love it because it's more personal, but still. I bought new clothes, hope you don't mind. I bought something for you too, but it's a surprise so hurry home. I love you._

 _Abs_

 _—_

 _Dr. Bartlet,_

 _I found the chocolates you snuck in my carry on this morning (also found a pair of black, lace panties…something to remember you by?). Also, please send pictures of the kids, other congressmen were asking for them. Hope all is well at the farm. I love you so much. You make my life brighter. Please be safe._

 _Jed_

 _—_

 _Josiah,_

 _Enclosed you'll find the pictures of the kids you requested…and something a little for yourself ;) Leo came by the farm today with Maine lobster. It was wonderful. Thank you. I can't sleep without you here. I've been riding the horses more often to keep my mind off the fact that I'm so lonely. Hurry home. I miss you so much, Jed._

 _Your wife_


	2. Chapter 2

Abbey had sent her letter more than a week ago and was beginning to get worried when she never received one back from Jed. It had gotten late and she just figured he had gotten caught up in his work. The girls had just went to bed so Abbey cleaned up the kitchen and went to bed.

Jed came home early and went straight to the kitchen and got a quick snack before heading upstairs. He set his suitcase down and began undressing for bed. He smiled as he looked at Abbey. She looked so peaceful, he didn't want to wake her so he slipped under the covers and wrapped his arms around her.

"Mmm," Abbey smiled. "Jed? What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly.

"I came to see my beautiful wife. I read your letter and I just needed to see you," he began kissing her neck.

"Jed."

"Abbey?"

"I've missed you so much," tears began filling her eyes.

"Oh baby, please don't," she didn't stop and instead tears began to roll down her face. "Abs, sweetie. Hey, hey, stop. Please. We don't have to do anything tonight. Hey, I'll take you on a date tomorrow night?" He was so nervous; he didn't want her to feel pressure just because he came home early. He wanted her to feel special and not used.

She smiled and wiped her tears away, "yeah, okay,"

Jed smiled and his eyes began to get heavy, "I've missed you,"

She smiled and kissed him.

—

"Jed, where are you going?" she asked as she saw him leave after he finished his lunch.

"Um…out," he smiled.

"Jed," she raised her brow.

"Abbey, don't worry. I'll be back at 5 to pick you up," he kissed her then grabbed his keys.

She watched him suspiciously as he pulled out of the driveway.

—

Jed opened the door to the house but then thought about it and closed it. Instead he rang the doorbell and waited for Abbey to come.

Confused, but excited, Abbey opened the door to see Jed in the doorway with flowers.

"Hello beautiful," Jed greeted.

"You know this is your house right?" she raised an eyebrow.

He smiled, "yeah but I'm trying to be romantic,"

She rolled her eyes and took the flowers from him, "let me put these in some water and we can go,"

They went into the kitchen and Jed wrapped his arms around her waist, "you smell nice,"

"Thanks," she smiled.

"Is this dress new?" he asked as he looked her up and down.

"Yeah,"

"Hmm, I don't even want to know what that cost me,"

"Jed!" she rolled her eyes and he led her out the door.

"Come on, babe. Time for dinner and it's your favorite,"

"There's caviar and creme brûlée?" she asked incredulously.

"You'll have to come and see, wont you?" Jed smiled as he took her hand and led her to the beach where he set up a picnic. Abbey smiled widely; she was so excited. It remained her of when they first began dating and Jed would set up romantic dates every once in a while to keep her guessing.

"Jed," she smiled as she sat on the blanket in the sand, "you really are being amorous tonight,"

"I missed you a lot, Abs," he said seriously as he sat across from her.

"I see there is caviar…so is there creme brûlée too?" she lifted a brow.

He smiled and nodded his head.

"Why are you spoiling me so much tonight? Did you do something wrong?"

"No…I just…missed you. Abbey, I already told you — I'm trying to be romantic,"

"You're doing just fine, Jed, really. It's so sweet of you,"


	3. Chapter 3

"Let's dance," he stood and extended his hand.

"What?" Abbey was taken aback since Jed never really loved to dance.

"Come on. I'll put on some music," he put one hand on the small of her back and began to sway with her to the rhythm of the music.

"This really is sweet — dancing with you as the sun sets with bare feet," she smiled up at him. One of her favorite feelings was sand between her toes and dancing with Jed was another. She rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Jed placed a kiss on her head and held her close. They danced as the sun set.

"Jed?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you so much," she smiled as she felt the rumble in his chest as he laughed.

"I love you, Abs,"

"I wish we could stay out here forever,"

"I know, baby, but there is some creme brûlée you haven't eaten yet,"

She laughed as he reached in the picnic basket and pulled out two creme brûlée bowls. it warmed her heart for him to do something so romantic.

"Now, I didn't make these, so they're safe to eat," he teased.

She sat down and began to slowly eat and tears began to sting her eyes. She looked at Jed with such love, his hair tousled from the light wind and blue eyes stinging even brighter tonight than she had seen in recent days. His skin was still tan from the summer and he smiled a smile that reminded her of when they were college kids. Suddenly, her mind flash backed to when they were first dating and Jed brought her to the farm for a date just like this.

"Abs?" Jed asked as he saw the tears in her eyes and smile on her lips.

She just smiled in response.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jed interrupted her daydreaming.

"This reminds me of one of our first dates," she said as she picked at her dessert.

Jed smiled and placed his hand on hers, "that was a long time ago,"

"We were so in love for some kids,"

"Was at love at first sight?"

"For me?" he wanted to confirm.

"Yes,"

"I'm not sure, but it was pretty damn close," he smiled. "But I know it wasn't for you,"

"What!? How could you say that?" she asked incredulously.

"Otherwise you would've broken up with Ron right away,"

"You were studying to become a priest,"

"Love has no boundaries, mon amour,"

"What was I supposed to do? Dump my boyfriend, who everyone thought was one day going to be my husband, and chase after a guy who I was afraid wouldn't love me back?"

"Is that really what held you back?"

"A little bit," she admitted, "I remember I wanted to kiss you and tell you all of my secrets. I wanted to say I'd been waiting for this feeling for a long time and I wanted you to love me,"

Jed smiled,"Ya know what I liked about you? You were always unpredictable. Sometimes the things you said and did were surprising. Sometimes they disturbed me," she laughed remembering the first time she talked him through a surgery, "But it was all exciting, and that's what I liked most. You were so many, many things but you never was once boring. I was gawky and you were gorgeous and I was hopelessly boring and you were endlessly fascinating,"

"Jed," she blushed and rolled her eyes at the way he was so romantic at times.

"Abs, there's something about you. The way my name rolls off your tongue makes my heart skip a beat. Your freckles are like specks of the earth crawled underneath your skin, nestling in your warmth, cowering from the whirling New England snow. Your smile, teeth of jewels and pearls, a perfect waxing crescent. Everyday, I feel like I'm falling in love again,"

By this time, tears streamed down her face but she tried to smile through them.

"Jed, please," she struggled to catch her breath but Jed rushed to her side and held her close.

"Abbey, I love you so much, so very much," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled, still in his arms, "do you remember the first time we kissed?"

"Yes. I was walking you back to your dorm from the library because we were such nerds. We hugged but then I kissed you. And for those few seconds, it felt like time slowed down. I immediately apologized because you had a boyfriend and I was Pope Bartlet. But your hair smelled like lavender, which it still does even today. You were wearing jeans and a Ralph Lauren sweater," he smiled because he knew she would love the small details. "About a week later, you broke up with Ron and I changed my major. About a month after that, I told you 'I loved you' for the first time. Then about a year or so later, we were married..and here we are now,"


	4. Chapter 4

She wiped her tears on his shirt and sat up from his embrace, "Jed Bartlet, how do you do it?"

He smiled knowingly, "do what?"

"Oh shut up. You know exactly what I'm talking about,"

"Yeah, I do. But I do it because I love you and I know you love it when I do,"

It was a good answer and they both knew it, "can we go back to the house and get some real food?"

"Yeah, but first, I have something for you," he smiled as he reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a long, slender, black velvet box.

She looked at him with wide eyes and a wide smile, "Jed?"

"Well, go on, open it," he pushed it more to her.

She opened to box to find a simple sparkly diamond bracelet and gasped.

"You like it?"

She looked at him with teary eyes, "Jed, I love it," she said in almost a whisper.

"I love you so much and I'd never be able to do this without you," he said as he held her hand.

She smiled and leaned in for a deep kiss, "can we go back to the house now?"

He laughed and helped her up. She helped clean up and Jed carried the basket. He wrapped one arm around her lazily as they walked back to the house barefooted. She rested her head on his chest and took in the moment.

"I love you, Jed," she smiled.

He kissed her head, "I love you, too sweet knees,"

"Tonight was really great, Jed,"

"Yeah, but there are going to be more lonely nights, you know?" he said sadly.

"Yeah,"

When they got back to the house, Jed put the food in the kitchen and Abbey led him upstairs.

"You've been gone a long time," she whispered.

"Yeah," his mouth was getting dry in anticipation of what to come.

She opened to door to their bedroom and she immediately pushed him onto the bed, "don't move," she left him with a saucy smile and went to the closet.

"I love it when you're bossy," he smiled as he began undressing.

She came back in a red teddy and straddled him.

"Whoa, baby," he smiled. Her hair was tousled and her freckled face more prominent with her tan skin. "You're amazingly beautiful,"

"Stop buttering me up and make love to me," she whispered.

"You got it, babe," he grinned and flipped her on her back and pinned her hands above her head.

—

The morning sun came in through the windows, waking Abbey. She smiled as she found Jed, still naked, with his arms wrapped around her. She stood and stretched.

"I love it when you do that," he said sleepily from the bed.

"Do what?" she smiled.

"Walk around in nothing but my underwear," he reached over to grab her hips and pulled her to the bed.

She giggled into his chest and began kissing him.

"So you're telling me I don't have to buy lingerie anymore?" she smiled as he tussled her neck.

"Absolutely not!" he looked at her with wide eyes, "I love your sexy underwear as much as I love you in my own. But when you're in mine, it's more innocent…which creates a sexy element,"

"Yeah, okay," she smiled.

"I love you so much," Jed smiled.

"I love you,"


End file.
